Curtain Call
by BittersweetOranges
Summary: "Sometimes escaping reality was what everyone really needed; but, its when the curtains come down and the lights turn off that you realize what a dream love was. The world is a stage and love is a play." A MBLAQ fan fiction.
1. Chapter 1

tHey guys, its my first MBLAQ fan fic. otherwise im not new to the whole fan fiction writing. ehe.

* * *

><p>Chapter - To Suffocate<p>

Yang Seungho was no foreigner to the atmosphere of a concert. The tears, hysteria, tension, and the excitement is what makes up the concert and what makes him most happy. Maybe, what makes him the most happy is the moment he could stand beneath the spotlight; surrounded by the adoring faces of the crowd. In fact, he felt exhilarated.

He was standing backstage and it was fifteen minutes before the concert would start; and he could already feel the adrenaline course through his veins and even his sweat dripping from his forehead.

He knew that he was ready. He knew, deep deep down, that all his training and hardwork would not go to waste. He was ready - this was the life for him.

"Five minutes everyone, five minutes!"

One of the crew called out, his right was hand raised up signaling the number of minutes left. Everybody else started moving faster, from outside the curtains the lights dimmed and the fans started chanting.

"Five minutes huh? Time runs so fast," Seung Ho thought to himself.

"How many years had passed? Four?"

It was Lee Joon, one of his fellow members, he was at least a year younger than Seung Ho; but a head taller than him.

Seung Ho nodded.

It had been four years since their debut, and suddenly he was overcome by a wave of nostalgia. He was pushed back to the days when they were still trainees, still under Rain's tutelage. Their heads filled to the brim with the dreams debuting and what it would bring.

They certainly have come a long way from then; it wasn't a dream anymore and now they had at least two albums beneath their belt.

Seung Ho adjusted his jacket as their manager ushered the other members into a line behind him. In the background, he could hear the crew member from earlier count down the seconds till the start of the concert. Ten... nine... eight...

The music started and he could feel his heart thump to the beat. The fans cheers grew louder and he finally received the que to exit backstage.

Seconds after, he felt a bulge form in his throat; whether from the nervousness or from the tension he didn't know.

Was it regret?

That moment, Seungho almost hesitated when he left the backstage and went into place. He knew that later he would think that the life of an idol was for him, he would never remember the almost-hesitation in his step later. He would be drowning in his happiness by then.

He felt suffocated, but he didn't even notice.

* * *

><p>Haneul had wondered if the screams were deafening in real life, the TV had made the screams sound static and it hurt her head. That moment the concert had just ended and the final note had vanished into the air a few seconds ago.<p>

She told herself she was lucky, as she stood up to put off the TV, that she was even able to watch the concert. Some fans probably couldn't even watch the live stream.

To make this clear, Haneul did not watch the concert for the idols. She did like to watch performances, but she knew none of them; and besides, she had just happened to pass by it (the channel) when she flipped through the channels. She was looking for something to relieve her boredom and had caught it right at the introductions of the idols.

They were waving and smiling. She, being such a skeptical person, wondered if their smiles were plastic.

The TV went off with a click and she sat back down on the floor. She took a look at the rubber watch on her wrist, her brows furrowed, it was getting late. And it would be thirty more minutes before her shift at the café started and she did not realize that she had spent the rest of her afternoon watching.

However, excuses aside, she had no more time to spare scrutinizing the lives of people she did not know. So she left, taking a coat with her and locking the door behind her.

The ground crunched beneath her feet as she walked towards the café. She put her hands in her coat pockets and allowed her hair to billow in the cool air. Haneul could see her breath rise in the air. In and out, in and out.

It was cold outside, colder now that it was autumn. In a few days she would be going back to school, in a few days she would have to juggle a lot of things in her hands again. Just months ago she had been accepted to a good college. She felt elated - happy! She wanted to tell her parents, run to them but...

Haneul shook her head, determined to shake off that train of thought. It was no use thinking of things that were in the past, it would only weaken her - put down her defenses, break down everything that she had tried to hold in.

She took the turn at the road and arrived at the café. She opened the door and the bell tinkled, the warm air embracing her. She greeted the manager and put on her uniform, tied her hair into a ponytail, and took her spot at the cashier.

The tranquil business of the cafe calmed her, the scent of coffee and pastries comforted her. It smelled faintly of home...

Later Haneul's boss called her away to receive a call. Afterwards, she would ask to leave and nobody would know why; nobody would notice that she was about to cry - that her tears were threatening to fall.

She was not ready for the news that she recieved. It was actually the last thing she had expected to happen and it broke that line of defense she tried so hard to keep up these days.

Now, she was walking briskly back towards home, hands shoved into her pockets, eyes looking down, and her breath coming out in short sharp gasps.

Haneul stopped in the middle of the road and shook herself, then slapped her face. She must not regret, she must not lose the logic that kept her chained to the ground. But deep down she knew, she knew how flawed her logic was - how childish her rebellion was.

Her name was Yoon Haneul. It meant dragon of the sky. But she was not as free as her namesake nor was she as strong as that dragon

* * *

><p>"The concert was a success guys, good work!"<p>

Despite how tired he was he could feel his lips curl into a smile.

They were sitting in the conference room, having a meeting after the concert, for there was no fan signing after the concert - much to the disappointment of the fans the end of the concert was the end. Right after the concert the idols' sweat was wiped and the stage was cleared. But before they left, Seungho had lingered a bit longer; he was trying so hard to grasp at the happiness he felt till it all ebbed away.

Back at the company the production crew and other staff were sitting inside congratulating each other and clapping.

It was a good fun run.

Their concert tours were finally over, now they had to start from square one. Compose a new song, create a new concept and all the other stuff they would have to do.

Seungho crossed his legs and leaned back further into his chair. They still had time, he could afford a bit of relaxation.

"No schedules for a week, you've earned your rest,"

He heard Mir sigh in relief.

Mir was the youngest of them all. Not only that, he was also the most energetic and the one who made the most noise. During the earlier days of their career, he introduced himself as the atmosphere maker. No one doubted the validity of his words.

Currently, Mir's hair was styled into a ponytail - left from their "Smoky Girl" performance - and he was wearing the concert t-shirt printed with their band name MBLAQ, and a pair of skinny jeans.

"Happy vacation kids. We'll be informing you when you have something to do." Their manager continued.

Everybody nodded and just like that the meeting was over, the manager walked out with big strides and he was followed by congratulations and ninety degree bows.

Slowly everyone left the meeting room. First the staff left, until only MBLAQ remained in the room.

"What should we do now?"

Seungho turned and looked across the table to where Lee Joon was sitting. He was leisurely stretching his arms upwards, a yawn escaping his lips. He certainly was right, Seungho thought to himself. What should they do now? Well besides going home or eat that is. It had been a while since they had free time on their hands. It was a bit unsettling.

"I don't know Joon." Seungho replied as he stood up, the metal screech of the chair reverberated inside the room. "All I want to do is sleep." the leader continued.

"Yeah... but maybe we could go to the amusement park again." It was Mir.

All eyes turned towards him. Mir chuckled nervously, they had always went to the amusement park during their hiatus and most of the members where sure of one thing. No parks.

"Mir! We've had enough of parks. I think we practically rode everything, even the carousel." The lead vocalist whined whilst rubbing his forehead, his long spindly fingers repeatedly sliding from the right to the left.

Seungho inwardly agreed and besides everyone looked tired.

They were all slumped in their chairs and one of the members had already fallen asleep. His head was on the table with his arms as pillows.

"Well, hyung asked..." Mir retorted before he put his head on the table. the lead vocalist shook his head.

It was so uncharacteristic for them to get this wiped out... and whiny.

They sat in silence for a few seconds until Mr. Lead Vocalist suggested they go home to the dorms. Seungho shook the sleeping one awake awake then they groggily left the building to go home and rest.

It had been an internal struggle for the five of them. Take a shower then go to bed, or abandon all forms of hygiene and sleep. If they could they would have done the latter - but of course health first. So, one by one they washed up. Each one taking a longer time to clean than the first. Except for Lee Joon. Lee Joon, the lightning washer.

And Seungho in his sleepy stupor, didn't even dry his hair before he collasped on his bed and curled himself around the sheets.

When he awoke the next day his body hurt like hell, he felt like he could hardly move. Four years of back-breaking activities is nothing. But still. His joints cracked as he made to stand up from the bed.

Then, he lazily made his way towards the bathroom; rubbing his head and licking his dried lips through it all.

He shuffled through the empty living room, not minding the silence. He knew that the other members probably left to visit their families, either that or they're still asleep. He glanced at the wall clock on the wall opposite. One forty-five. He shrugged it off and proceeded to splash his face with cold water in the bathroom.

Finally awake he saw himself clearly in the mirror. His hair was long, blond, and messy; his eyes were almost devoured by the dark circles around it; and his complexion, was - by far - one of the worst he had in a long while.

He frowned when he found out that all his favorite clothes was still lying dirty in the laundry basket, and he didn't have the energy nor the motivation to wash it himself.

But the worst thing was there was nothing decent in the kitchen to eat. All the manager hyungs left for the week, the ahjumma who cooks their meals wouldn't come today, there was absolutely nothing in the fridge but leftovers, and G.O. (the lead vocalist) was probably too tired and lazy to cook.

It was turning out to be one of those hangover-like days, the only problem was that he wasn't drunk.

The young man had two choices, cook for himself or find food somewhere else. Normally he would ask the other members to come along, but for some odd reason he felt like going alone. Seungho bit his lower lip.

They probably left earlier anyway. The leader shut the refrigerator the various bottles clattering. He would go to a restaurant or something. Maybe have some ramen or a good bowl of rice, anything just not kimchi fried rice. Yuck.

* * *

><p>EDITED: 0210/14


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - To Try

Haneul didn't want to cry, but the tears had fallen way too early. She had barely reached the threshold when the flood gates opened and her legs gave way. Thats when the thin film that separated her emotions from the world broke and the world started to spin around her.

The hall was silent, save for her sniffling and the whispers she told herself in a deperate bid to save herself from falling into despair. It was her mantra, a saying that was drilled into her, ever since her younger years.

Crying is a sign of weakness.  
>Crying is a sign of weakness.<br>Crying is a sign of weakness.  
>Crying is a sign of weakness.<br>Crying is a sign of weakness.

"Are you alright?"

She jerked her head towards the voice to find her neighbor looking at her. He was holding a grocery bag in his hand and a can of soda in the other; if truth be told, Haneul saw the genuine concern in his eyes. The sad thing is that she chose not to believe it.

And in that moment she stood up on shaky legs and noticing the movement the young man made to move towards her, but before he could help her she shoved him away. The bag he had in his hand fell to the floor with a soft thump.

"I don't need your help!"

She was looking away, but he knew that she was crying. He could not see her eyes, but he knew she was crying.

"I don't need your-"

Her voice cracked, and a new wave of sadness overcame her, as she covered her face with her hands.

For a moment the hall was filled with the sounds of her crying.  
>It shocked him to see Haneul, the usually stoic Haneul, breaking down on tears like this. They had hardly met each other, but when they did it was usually only a greeting or a smile<p>

He tried to approach her, but before he could take a step she had already pulled the keys from her pocket and jammed it into the door.

"Wait!"

Before, he could even say it she was gone and Haneul didn't know what he did after she shut the door in his face.

Hours later, she lay crumpled on her bed. Her eyes were red and the side of her body was sore . It was devastating.

Everything about the conversation was devastating. She received the call during her shift at the cafe. There were a lot of costumers during that time so she wondered why her boss would call her so suddenly.

She took the receiver to her ear and said.  
>"Hello, this is Yoon Haneul."<p>

"Ah, yes Miss Yoon, I wanted to talk to you about your mother." It was a man's voice - deep, and filled with authority.

Her eyebrows furrowed. Parents are a sensitive topic.

"Yes, what about her?"

It had took a while for him to respond and for a moment, static was all she heard.

"Well, I am her doctor and I..."  
>She felt something her stomach squirm in fearful anticipation. Her mother was always so sickly.<p>

"I don't know how to say this but-"

Her mother was dead.

The world froze, and if Haneul could have let go of the telephone receiver she would have. There was a ringing in her ears, and she felt herself grow numb. All she could see was her mother -everything that she left.

"Miss Yoon?"

The Doctor's voice was hard and metallic - like static.

She snapped and her voice was shaky.  
>"Thank you for telling me..."<br>"If you need anything else..."  
>"No thank you doctor, I'll be fine."<p>

The line went silent for a while.

"Thank you for your hard work doctor."

No, he didn't feel anything for her. No symphaties, no real sorrow. She was just another family member of another deceased patient.

And as gently as she could, she put the phone onto the cradle, took her jacket, and closed the backdoor behind her.

Haneul felt she was running away again. Like that first time when she was younger. In an act of rebellion she decided to leave the countryside and continue her schooling in Seoul. Her parents didn't find out until a week later, they were under the impression that she had stayed overnight at her friends house. She was still in junior high then so she stayed at her aunts house, but when she started high school she moved out and tried to cut as much communication between her and her family.

They had tried so hard to bring back home. Her father was crying over the phone, begging her to come home to her family. But what stood out in that memory, was her icy voice saying words she couldn't take back. Words that torment her until now.

She didn't deserve the right to mope around and cry over the mother she had disowned from her life. She felt so pathetic. Oh, how naïve she was back then. Had she matured since then?

She sat down and ran her fingers through her hair and checked her watch.

The crumpled sheets rustled as she stood up and made for the bathroom. Turning on the shower she plunged herself into the icy cold water - clothes and all. The water cascaded down her shoulders and rolled down her cheeks like tears. She was determined to not regret any of the choices she made. It was what she decided, and she was going to live with it.

The news about her mother's death soon spread through the employees of the cafe, and soon enough Haneul was sick of hearing the words I'm sorry.

She didn't need pity in the fortress she had made for herself.

The bell tinkled and a customer approached the counter, she forced on a smile and greeted her.  
>"Good morning, this is our cafe what would you like today?"<p>

* * *

><p>Yang Seung Ho shoved his hands into his jacket after he locked the door behind him. He then walked towards the elevator, the sound of his feet muffled by the plush carpet.<p>

He was thinking of going to the cafe opposite the apartment complex he lived in. Days ago the quaint cafe had caught his eye and he had silently promised himself that he would go there one day.

Right as the young man arrived the elevator doors opened with a ding revealing random people and surprisingly - Thunder.  
>"Sang Hyun,"<p>

Thunder - or Sang Hyun as Seungho liked to call him - turned around to face his elder, an expression of delighted surprise on his face.

"Hyung! What are you doing here?"

Thunder was a stage name (of course), his real name was Park Sang Hyun. He was the younger brother of Sandara Park - another famous idol in the industry. It probably did make an impact on his career, but Seung Ho believed that even without his connections the young man could have held his own against the competition.

"Ah, I should be asking you that." Seung Ho replied.

They chuckled, then Sang Hyun motioned if he would come in - he declined and moved to give space.

"Aren't you going somewhere hyung?"

The younger one asked.

"Nah, I could kill a bit of time - besides the elevator was full." Seung Ho pointed out with his thumb.

"Yeah, you're right."  
>There was a slight pause as Sang Hyun adjusted the grocery bag in his hands.<p>

"So, where did you go today?"

Seungho asked his dongsaeng while shifting his weight to his other foot.

The latter lifted the bag he was holding.  
>"Well, I figured I'd go and get some groceries and some of my favorite snacks."<p>

Seung Ho nodded, and after noting the lull in the conversation he pressed the button for the elevator.  
>"Anyway, I'd better get going and eat."<p>

"Hyung, you didn't eat yet?!"

"I just woke up."

The younger idol shook his head in disbelief and went towards their apartment.  
>"Since you're obviously not joining me you better get going."<p>

Seung Ho playfullly saluted and turned just as he heard the elevator doors open.

The bells jingled as the idol entered the cafe.

"Welcome sir."

An employee called out from his position as he cleared a table. Seung Ho nodded his acknowledgement and approached the counter, and started to take in the look of the cafe. It was definitely as homie as he had imagined it. The chairs were upholstered with a soft pastel green velvet, the tables were mahogany wood, and the wall opposite the counter was glass. It showed the busy street outside, and the other customers who decided to enjoy the rare sunny autumn day.

"Good Morning, welcome to our cafe. What would you like?" The cashier greeted politely.

"Well, one club sandwich, an americano, and a mocha cake."  
>Seung Ho said, as he fished out his wallet from his pocket.<br>"Sir, let me repeat your order - by the way, is it dine in or to go?"  
>"Dine in, please."<br>"So, one club sandwich, one americano, and one mocha cake; all for dine in?"  
>"Yes, thank you."<br>Seung Ho looked up as he put a couple of bills on the counter. Thats when he accidentally made eye contact with her and noticed the dark circles under it. The dark circles that he was all too familiar with.

"Excuse me sir, is there a problem?"

He backed away a bit, it seemed that he had crossed a boundary line. In fact, he was too close. They were inches away from nose contact.

"Ah, its nothing. I'm sorry."

She nodded, but he was overcome with curiosity.

"Ah-"

She turned to look back at him, an eyebrow raised.

"Um... those circles."  
>The lady sent him a puzzled look, he pointed to his eyes and drew a circle with his finger. Her eyes widened, then she turned a beet red.<p>

"I'm sorry sir but this is none of your business,"

She pushed the tray with his order on it towards him (when was it filled?), tore the receipt from the machine and handed it to him quite roughly.

"Thank you for your patronage."  
>She gave him a sweet smile then gestured towards the seat at the far side of the cafe.<br>He sat down with his back turned towards the cashier, and although he could not see he had the strange feeling that he was being watched from behind.

* * *

><p>an: sorry for the heavy drama and the editing. I should really be more responsible. I hope it wont happen again. Oh and BTW please point out typos and other stuff as much as possible, thank you.

EDIT: 03/31/14

Sorry for the low quality of this chapter. I couldn't help myself and I had to clear off some inaccuracies.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - To Lie

Seung Ho felt like there was a hot pole poking through his back, so much so, that he couldn't even finish his lunch. He didn't know what he did to earn the wrath of the cashier lady, but he had his own theories.

The lady wants a piece of him.

But with all due respect and seriousness, he knew that it was probably the part where he pointed out the black circles when he had some himself. It made him feel a bit guilty - that is, his prying into someone's life, judging based on assumptions, and that shred of thought he was too embarrassed to repeat.

He crumpled the sandwich wrapper in his hands and reached towards his cup of coffee. He took a tentative sip, savouring the bitter taste of the coffee. It probably was a miracle he finished his sandwhiches without him lighting on fire. The idol could not continue eating this way, he had to either face the music or be a coward and run away. He swilled the rest of his coffee.

The idol heard his plate chink as he picked it up and brought it towards the cashier.

"Could I have this wrapped for take out?"

If eyebrows could go any higher than the hairline, Seung Ho had seen it happen before his very eyes. The lady took the plate gently enough and without much ceremony dumped the cake into a plastic container. This time it was his turn to raise his brows.  
>After she had put the container into the paper bag and extended it towards him, he took it as nonchalantly as he could.<p>

"So you're not going to apologize?"  
>"Why should I?"<p>

Honestly, even if he felt guilty he didn't have any urge to apologize. Was it his fault if he noticed the eye bags?

"So you were the one trying to poke a hole through me all this time?"

She blushed and pursed her lips.  
>"You are such a-"<p>

"Are you Seung Ho-oppa from MBLAQ"  
>He turned to see a bunch of giggling girls, and judging from their uniforms they probably were high school students.<p>

He looked back at the cashier who was looking away with her head bowed.  
>"Yes, yes I am."<p>

* * *

><p>Why didn't she notice it before? It was that idol in TV. The one she had watched till her evening shift.<p>

The mussed up white-colored hair, the round eyes, the cocky smile. Why didn't she notice it?

Didn't he, with 4 others, yell the name of their band in unison?

Ah, she told herself. No wonder he was so stuck on his high horse. He had a penchant for pointing out someones mistakes. It irritated her that this man, who had lived carefree and admired by everyone, had had the audacity to try and pry into her imperfect life.

She had just lost-

No, she had lost nothing.

She put on a smile, more of a grimace, and directed the small fan club to leave the cafe.

"We'd be happy to accompany you're little fan meeting, but you're disturbing our customers."

True enough, the other customers were staring at the small shrieking group. The blondie just nodded and left.

Just after thinking that she had got rid of the pest, she noticed he left his crudely packaged cake on the counter.

She muttered curses under her breath as she wrapped the scarf around her neck.

"Oh, Haneul leaving already, I thought you're finishing the noon shift?"

The adressed turned to face her manager. He was a kindly man with crows feet around the eyes. Supposedly he had been manager for 15 years, but before all that he had been wandering around. Doing odd jobs and stuff. Despite herself, she felt sad for him. Stuck in the same monotonous job for a decade and a half.

"Oh, a customer just left his take-out. And I was wondering if I could clock out early Sir."

The manager's brows furrowed, certainly from worry.

"Yes, yes, Haneul,"

He had turned leave as he shooed her away, but he looked back and his eyes turned misty.  
>" I know how hard it is to lose a loved one. But when you do take a break, please inform me of your days off."<p>

Haneul bowed her head in appreciation.

She was just about to leave when the old man cleared out his throat.

"I'm just letting you off the hook this one time."

Mr. Manager straightened his back, and tried to look strong and powerful. Probably, just a tiny show of power. He did mean it though.

The young one gave a small smile then left by the back door. The back was a little ways away from the entrance, but she felt like walking out through the front door was a bit obnoxious. And besides, she was exhausted.

Exhausted from lack of sleep and stress - and because of that pesky blonde.

The plastic bag rsutled as she swung it forward and backard. Determined to make a mess out of the icing.

"He couldn't have gotten far."

Her breath vaporized before her.

It certainly was getting chilly. She rubbed her mitten hands together, not hesitating to give the plastic and extra good shake.

Soon enough, she was by the entrance of the cafe. Sure enough, Seung Ho - or what's-his-name - and his fan club were still there.

He's enjoying the attention too much isn't he? She sighed as he approached him.

"Hey, excuse me sir."

The group turned to lay their eyes on her. She felt the angry but curios gazes of the students, and the genuinely curios one of the Idol.

She lifted up the plastic and gave it a good, small, teeny, shake. Not that it would have made a difference.

"You forgot your cake sir."  
>Seung Ho looked at her, acknowledged her presence, and reached for his cake. His (rough) fingers grazed lightly over hers. It surprised her, she had expected an idol to have soft hands.<p>

She must have looked silly and charmed because uddenly the student piped up.

"What's your connection with Seung Ho-oppa?"

Haneul was impressed, despite the student's young age she was able to sound polite but demanding at the same time.

The older girl non-chalantly answered her question.

"Ah, nothing. I'm just a cashier. He forgot his cake."

They backed off a bit, but the student who spoke still had a weary look on her face. In the corner, Seung Ho started laughing. His fans looked up at him, rather annoyed.

It was a loud and boisterous laugh. His head was thrown back in happiness, as he clutched his stomach.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, its nothing,"

He put his arms on the shoulders of the 2 students by his side, they turned red insantly - annoyance completey forgotten.

"You guys are so protetive of me, I'm happy, but don't worry."

He slipped his hands away and placed it on the top of their heads.

"I'll always have a special place in your hearts, right?"

He patted each and every one of them, as they sqealed and proclaimed their love.

"I'll be leaving now!" He smiled and - god forbid - winked. It sent the girls to their own Nirvana.

Haneul was fuming.

She knew very well what he had done. He had told a lie. A big fat lie.

He had told them he had a spot in their hormone-driven hearts. And of course, they had taken it the wrong way - as many fans have done. They believed, they had that chance to be in more than just the idol-fan relationship. He was sugar coating what the reality was. I am only and will ever be an idol to you guys.

Haneul was already seeing the disgusting dregs of cold tea.

Place in your heart.

"Place that spot in my ass." She balled her fists.

He had played with his fans, and they didn't know better.

* * *

><p>Ha, its been awhile. :DD<p> 


End file.
